DESCRIPTION: (Taken from the applicant's abstract) This application requests support for a multidisciplinary training program in rheumatic diseases. The overall objective of the proposed efforts is to train qualified postdoctoral individuals for academic careers as physician scientists or basic scientists in rheumatologic sciences. They will use an integrated approach involving faculty from clinical and basic science departments. The program is designed to provide research training in areas important for rheumatic diseases including rheumatology, orthopedic surgery, vascular medicine, molecular medicine, immunology, outcome research and genetic epidemiology. Training opportunities exist in basic, disease-oriented and patient-oriented research. The faculty have shared publications and shared educational and research conferences. The program is designed to achieve maximal faculty participation. Support for four trainees for each of five years is requested. Applicants will be selected on the basis of their academic records, research experience, letters of recommendation, and their commitment for an academic career and basic or clinical research related to rheumatic diseases. The goal is to produce independent investigators who are disease-oriented and are able to collaborate with basic scientists and with clinical colleagues involved in the study and treatment of rheumatic diseases. This goal will be accomplished with an in depth training program combining didactic courses, journal clubs, tutorials, and research experience in one of the senior faculty laboratories. Trainees will spend a minimum of two years, preferably three years, in research programs, which is the minimum to prepare them for an independent career as an investigator. The trainees have access to an interactive faculty and numerous integrated research facilities including an inpatient clinical research center, an outpatient clinical research center, and Mayo-sponsored research cores. The institution is committed to expanding the training program for career scientists, physician scientists, and basic scientists in rheumatic diseases. This training program is closely interlinked with major institutional initiatives in cancer, molecular medicine, transplantation, health services research, and genetic epidemiology. The proposed training program offers the opportunity to integrate different efforts and provide a focus for studies aimed at understanding the pathophysiology of rheumatic diseases and to apply this knowledge to the clinical diagnosis and treatment.